Door opening and closing means

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator display case has a curved or semicylindrical door which is opened by means of a button being pressed. The door continues to open after the button is released, until the door is fully open. The door remains fully open for a certain period of time, and then starts to close. If the edge of the door, as the door moves closed, contacts the arm of the person removing product from the case or the product, the door automatically moves back to the fully open position, and remains there for such certain period of time.

PATENn-:n um mn SHEET l UF 3 INVENTOR LOUIS E BARROERO United States Patent [72] Inventor Louis F. Barroero 1,829,256 |585 Daniels Drive, San Leandro, Calif. 2,135,131 94577 2,221,216 [21] Appl. No. 838,850 2,728,625 [22] Filed July 3,1969 2,841,389 [45] Patented Aug. I7, 1971 2,871,009 3,247,615 2,994,572 1541 DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING MEANS 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[S21 U.S. C1 49/30, 49/40, 49/41 [5l] lnt.CI. E05 15/20 [50] Field oiSearch 49/30, 27, 28,40,4l, 317/141-,307/116, 125

[561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,|.52l l1/l938 Ellis 49/28 2,213,003 12/1940 Gorman 49/28 2,826,658 3/1958 Jacl son.......,Y 49/28 X 3,029,968 4/1962 Saunders.. AAAA 49/40 X l0/l93l ll/l938 l1/l940 12/1955 7/1958 l/l959 4/1966 8/1961 Benziger 49/41 X Bassett 49/27 X Greegor et al. 49/27 X Blahnik 49/41 X Litherland. 49/27 Picatti 49/30 Kalog. n 49/30 Morrison 49/25 X Primary Examiner- Dennis L. Taylor Attorney-Mellin, Moore and Weissenberger ABSTRACT: A refrigerator display case has a curved or semicylindrical door which is opened by means of a button being pressed. The door continues to open after the button is released, until the door is fully open. The door remains fully open for a certain period of time, and then starts to close. lf the edge of the door, as the door moves closed, contacts the arm of the person removing product from the case or the product, the door automatically moves back to the fully open position, and remains there for such certain period of time.

PATENTEDAumsm 3599.371 sum 2 of 3 FIGA IZA INVENTOR LOUIS .E BARROERO AT TORN EYS PATENTE() Ausl 71971 SHEET 3 UF 3 INVENTOR LOUIS E BARROERO AT TORN EYS Doon OPENING AND cLosiNG MEANS BACKGROUND or THE iNvisNnoN Generally, it is often necessary for a shopper in a market to remove products from a case which has a normally closed door. The shopper must open the door and hold it, meanwhile removing the product from the case, and then close the door. Often this is extremely inconvenient, as the shopper may n'ot have both hands free, since he may be carrying other merchandise.

lf the shopper does succeed in opening the door and removing his desired products, he may, now that he is carrying the removed product, be unable to close the door at all, and may therefore leave it open. This is obviously quite undesirable if the case is a refrigerator or freezer, wherein the allowance of heat` into the case is to be avoided.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide means for automatically opening, holding open, and closing the door of a display case, such means being easily and conveniently actuated. f

lt is a further object of the invention to provide means which, while fulfilling the above subject, present no problems to one using the case, in that the closing cycle can easily and conveniently be overcome by the user, to send the door back to the open position.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means which, while fulfilling the above objects, are simple in design, ancl quite maintenance free.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Broadly stated, the invention means for opening and closing a door are in cooperation with a door movable to open and closed position, and comprise opening means for moving the door from its closed to its open position, and means for selectively actuating vthe opening means when the door is in its closedl position. Means are included for holding the door in its open position for a certain period of time after it has been moved to its open position. Closing means are included for moving the door from its open position to its closed position, and means are included for automatically actuating such closing means after the door has been held in said open position for said certain period of time. Means are included for selectively, simultaneously cutting off the closing means and actuating the opening means as the door is being moved from its open position to its closed position, to move the door back to its open position to be held in such position for said certain period of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. l is an overall perspective view of a refrigerator display case incorporating the inventive means;

FIG. 2 is` a sectional v side elevation of the base of the refrigerator display case of FIG. l, showing the door drive means;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of door drive means alternative to that shownin FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional plan view of the refrigerator display case of FIG. l, with the door thereof closed;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4, but with the door open;

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the control circuit incorporated in the refrigerator display case.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Shown generally in FIG. l is a refrigerator display case l0 which incorporates the invention. The case l0 includes a curved lor semicylindrical door 12, and a surrounding frame 13. Such door l2 is mounted on a post 14 by means of a bottom web plate 16, and a similar top web plate (not shown), and is movable about post 14 to open and closed positions relative to one side of frame 13. lts closed position is shown in FIG. 4, and its open position is shown in FIG. 5.

Mounted adjacent the post 14 is an electric motor 18, having a drive shaft 20 which is rotatable in both directions. A small sprocket 22 is fixed to the drive shaft 20, and a large sprocket 24 is fixed to web plate 16, about post 14. A chain 26 interconnects the sprockets 22, 24, and it will be seen that rotation of the drive shaft 20 in one direction opens the door l2, and rotation of the drive shaft 20 in the other direction closes the door l2.

At this point, as an alternative, gears 28, 30 may be fixed to drive shaft 20v and web plate 16 respectively, with the teeth thereof engaged (FIG. 3). It will be seen that, again, rotation of the shaft 20 in one direction opens door l2, and rotation in the other direction closes door 12. K

When door 12 is in its closed position (FIG. 4), a pair of spring-biased switches 32, 34 are positioned to be held open by web plate 16, and a third spring-biased switch 36 is positioned away from web plate 16, so as to be closed, and not contacted by web plate 16. When door l2 is in its open position (FIG. 5), web plate 16 has moved to a point where it holds switch 36 open, and, being no longer in contact with switches 32, 34, has allowed them into their normally closed positions. A pushbutton switch 38 is mounted on frame 13, next to door l2, and a switch 40 designed to be closed by contact, is mounted along the edge 12A of the door l2.

These switches 32-40 are part of the control circuit 42 of FIG. 6, the operation of which will now be described.

When the case 10 is not being used, control circuit 42 is as shown in FIG. 6. In such event door 12 is closed, and web plate 16 holds switch 32, 34 open. Voltage from a voltage source 44 is now not being applied to motor 18. Switch 36, not being contacted by web plate 16, is closed, and push button switch 38 is open. To actuate the system, pushbutton switch 38 is closed. Such switch 38 bypasses switches 36, 32, and voltage is applied through normally closed contacts 46 across terminals A, C of m'otor l18, causing said motor to be activated. Such actuating of the motor 18 moves door'l2 from its closed towards its open position. As the door 12 so moves, web plate 16 moves away from switches 32, 34, allowing them to close. Switch 38 may then be released, and, since switch 32 is now closed, voltage is applied across terminals A, C of motor 18 through switches 36, 32 and closed contacts 46. The motor 18 therefore continues to run, opening door l2.

When the door 12 is fully opened, switch 36 is opened by web plate 16, cutting off the voltage applied across terminals A, C of motor 18. The motor 18 then stops. The movement of such switch 36 to its open position actually applies voltage across a time delay control 50 adapted to close a set of normally open contacts 52 after a certain time. During that time, the shopper removes itemsthat he may desire from the case 10. With the door 12 still fully open, after that certain time, time delay control 50 closes contacts 52. The closing of such contacts 52 applies voltage across a control relay 54 (through the contacts 52 and a set of normally closed contacts 56). Such control relay 54, upon application of voltage thereto, closes contacts 58, 60, in series, to apply voltage to motor 18 across terminals B, C. The application of such voltage thereto causes the motor 18 to run in the opposite direction, so that the door 12 starts to close. Application of voltage to control relay 54 also opens normally closed contacts 46. This insures that, even though switch 32 is closed, and switch 36closes, as the door moves toward its closed position, voltage will not be applied therethrough to terminal A of motor 18. Thus the circuitry ensures that the motor 18 properly runs in one direction or the other. y

Under normal circumstances, the door l2 continues to be moved by the running of motor I8 until the door l2 is closed. Upon such closing, switches 32, 34 are opened by web plate 16 cutting off voltage to both terminal B and terminal C of the motor 18. Voltage is also cutoff from control relay 54, opening sets of contacts 58, 60, and closing contacts 46. Switch 36 is now in its normally closed position, and so voltage is not applied to the time delay control. We are therefore again in the situation described initially, with the door l2 again ready to be actuated by the pressing of switch 38.

lf the door 12 starts to close while the shopper still has his arm in the case l0, edge 12a of door l2 contacts his arm, closing switch 40. The closing of switch 40 applies voltage across a control relay 62, opening contacts 56. This immediately cuts off voltage across terminal B, C of motor 18, stopping the motor 18. This also has the effect of cutting off voltage across control relay 54, closing contacts 46. With the door l2 in this intermediate position, switches 32, 36, not being contacted by web plate 16, are closed, and voltage is applied through these switches, and through the closed contacts 46, across terminals A, C. The motor 18 will then move the door 12v to its fully open position. With the door 12 in such fully open position, switch 40 is no longer contacted, so that contacts 56 close, and switch 36 is opened by web plate 16 to apply voltage across the time delay control 50. We are thus in the situation previously described, with the door l2 held fully open under the time delay 50. After that certain time, voltage will be applied across terminals B, C of motor 18, so that motor 18 moves the door l2 to its closed position.

It will be seen that herein are proved means for automatically opening, holding open, and closing the door of a refrigerator display case, such means being easily and conveniently actuated. Such means further include means for automatically sending the door back to its open position, from which position it will again automatically close. Overall, it will be vseen that the system is extremely simple in design and operation.

l claim;

1. Apparatus for selectively opening and closing a refrigerated display case comprising:

a unitary curved door sealingly closing an opening into said case and movable from a fully closed to a fully open position;

opening means associated with said door for moving the door in a substantially horizontal-arcuate path from its fully closed to its fully open position;

means associated with said opening means for selectively actuating the opening means when the doors in its fully closed position;

means associated with said door for holding the door in its fully open position for a first certain period of time after it has been moved to its fully open position;

closing means associated with said door for moving the door from its fully open position to its fully closed position;

means associated with said closing means for automatically actuating such closing means after the door has been held in said fully open position for said certain period of time;

means associated with both said closing means and said opening means for selectively, simultaneously cutting off the closing means and actuating the opening means as the door is being moved from its fully open'position to its fully closed position, to move the door back to its fully open position to be held in such position for a second of said certain period of time;

said opening and closing means comprising a motor having a drive shaft rotatable in both directions, and means associated with the drive shaft and the door so that rotating the drive shaft in one direction opens the door, and rotating the dn've shaft in the other direction closes the door; and

said means for holding the door in its fully open position for a first certain period of time comprising time delay means connected to the motor so that the shaft thereof is not rotated in either direction for said certain period of time, and switch means associated with said time delay means adapted to be switched with the door is in its fully open position to actuate the time delay means, said time delay means associated with both said closing means and said opening means to thereby hold said door 1n its fully open position for said second certain period of time.

2. Apparatus according to claim l wherein the means for selectively actuating the opening means when the door is in its fully closed position comprise a starter button to initially actuate such opening means, and second switch means associated with said door adapted to be switched after the door is opened an extent to continue to actuate the opening means after the starting button is released.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the means for selectively, simultaneously cutting off the closing means and actuating the opening means comprise third switch means mounted on the door, and to be actuated by contact therewith as the door closes.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means associated with the drive shaft and door comprise gear means, through which the drive shaft opens and closes the door.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means associated with the drive shaft and door comprise chain and sprocket means through which the drive shaft opens and closes the door. 

1. Apparatus for selectively opening and closing a refrigerated display case comprising: a unitary curved door sealingly closing an opening into said case and movable from a fully closed to a fully open position; opening means associated with said door for moving the door in a substantially horizontal arcuate path from its fully closed to its fully open position; means associated with said opening means for selectively actuating the opening means when the doors in its fully closed position; means associated with said door for holding the door in its fully open position for a first certain period of time after it has been moved to its fully open position; closing means associated with said door for moving the door from its fully open position to its fully closed position; means associated with said closing means for automatically actuating such closing means after the doOr has been held in said fully open position for said certain period of time; means associated with both said closing means and said opening means for selectively, simultaneously cutting off the closing means and actuating the opening means as the door is being moved from its fully open position to its fully closed position, to move the door back to its fully open position to be held in such position for a second of said certain period of time; said opening and closing means comprising a motor having a drive shaft rotatable in both directions, and means associated with the drive shaft and the door so that rotating the drive shaft in one direction opens the door, and rotating the drive shaft in the other direction closes the door; and said means for holding the door in its fully open position for a first certain period of time comprising time delay means connected to the motor so that the shaft thereof is not rotated in either direction for said certain period of time, and switch means associated with said time delay means adapted to be switched with the door is in its fully open position to actuate the time delay means, said time delay means associated with both said closing means and said opening means to thereby hold said door in its fully open position for said second certain period of time.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for selectively actuating the opening means when the door is in its fully closed position comprise a starter button to initially actuate such opening means, and second switch means associated with said door adapted to be switched after the door is opened an extent to continue to actuate the opening means after the starting button is released.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the means for selectively, simultaneously cutting off the closing means and actuating the opening means comprise third switch means mounted on the door, and to be actuated by contact therewith as the door closes.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means associated with the drive shaft and door comprise gear means, through which the drive shaft opens and closes the door.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means associated with the drive shaft and door comprise chain and sprocket means through which the drive shaft opens and closes the door. 